April 9, 2020
SEC Provides Temporary Relief to Business Development Companies Related to COVID-19
On April 8, 2020, the SEC issued a temporary exemptive order that provides specific, technical relief to BDCs with respect to certain senior securities and joint transaction restrictions and prohibitions under the 1940 Act (Order). The Order permits BDCs to issue senior securities subject to a modified asset coverage calculation…
April 2, 2020
Two Semi-Transparent ETFs Listed for Trading on a U.S. Exchange
Today, two semi-transparent ETFs following the Precidian ActiveShares model were listed for trading on a U.S. exchange. American Century Focused Large Cap Value ETF (FLV) and American Century Focused Dynamic Growth ETF (FDG), which are both listed on the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (Cboe), are the first ETFs…
April 1, 2020
SEC Staff Grants Temporary Relief to Support Open-End Funds
On March 26, 2020, the SEC staff (Staff) issued a no-action letter to the Investment Company Institute (ICI Letter) that provides temporary relief to registered open-end investment companies, other than exchange-traded funds and money market funds (open-end funds), and affiliated persons of such open-end funds (and affiliated persons of such affiliated persons) (Affiliates) from certain restrictions in Section 17(a) of the 1940 Act. Subject to conditions that are specified in the ICI Letter, the Staff will permit Affiliates to rely on Rule 17a-9 to purchase an affiliated open-end fund’s debt securities to enhance such fund’s liquidity or to fund shareholder redemptions in light of the short-term dislocation in the fixed income markets caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.
March 26, 2020
SEC Provides Temporary Additional Borrowing Flexibility to Registered Investment Companies Affected by Coronavirus
On March 23, 2020, the SEC issued an order (1940 Act Borrowing Order) providing for temporary additional borrowing flexibility to certain registered investment companies (funds) affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). The 1940 Act Borrowing Order provides exemptions from certain requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940…
March 26, 2020
SEC Provides Revised Relief to Assist Registered Funds Affected by the Coronavirus
On March 25, 2020, the SEC issued a revised order superseding a prior order from March 13, 2020 providing relief from certain provisions of the 1940 Act for registered investment companies (funds) whose operations may be affected by the coronavirus (1940 Act Order). The 1940 Act Order addresses: (i) the in-person…
March 25, 2020
SEC Staff Grants Temporary Relief to Support Money Market Funds
On March 19, 2020, the SEC staff (Staff) issued a no-action letter to the Investment Company Institute (ICI Letter) that provides relief to money market funds (MMFs). In the ICI Letter, the Staff will permit an affiliated person of an MMF (or an affiliated person of such person) that is…
March 25, 2020
Federal Reserve Opens Expanded Money Market Fund Liquidity Facility
On March 23, 2020, the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced the opening of an expanded Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMFLF). The MMFLF will last until September 30, 2020 and applies to money market funds (MMFs) that identify themselves as prime, single state, or other tax exempt MMFs on Form…
March 19, 2020
Federal Reserve Creates Money Market Fund Liquidity Facility
On March 18, 2020, the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced the creation of a Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility (MMFLF). The MMFLF will last until September 30, 2020 and applies to money market funds (MMFs) that identify themselves as “prime” MMFs on Form N-MFP. Under the MMFLF, eligible borrowers (certain…
March 12, 2020
Broker-Dealer Entities Fined $35 Million for Violations Relating to Inverse ETF Recommendations to Retail Investors
The SEC recently fined two dual registrant broker-dealers $35 million for violations involving inadequate compliance policies and procedures, unsuitable recommendations and failure to supervise arising out of recommendations to certain retail investors that invested in single-inverse ETFs. Single-inverse ETFs are ETFs that seek returns that are the opposite of the…
March 9, 2020
SEC Requests Comment on Fund Names Rule; Seeks to Eliminate Misleading Fund Names
On March 2, 2020, the SEC published a release seeking public comment on current requirements that restrict the use of potentially misleading fund names (principally, Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act (Names Rule)). The release notes that fund names are often the first piece of information investors see and that…